A denture is a prosthetic device constructed to replace some or all of the missing natural teeth in a patient's mouth. There are two types of dentures: a partial denture and a complete denture. The partial denture replaces a few missing teeth, while the complete denture substitutes the entire maxillary and/or mandibular arch. Dentures can be secured to dental implants or non-vital tooth roots in the mouth of a patient using either a removable or fixed attachment system. In general, a removable denture is designed and fabricated to be attached to dental implants and removed by the patient, whereas a fixed denture is attached to dental implants using cement or screws and can only be removed by a dental care provider. Accordingly, the retention forces of fixed dentures attached to dental implants are quite high and may, in some cases, be at or near the physical breaking points of the various components (e.g., in excess of 100 pounds of force). In contrast, retention forces for patient-removable prostheses, whether with ball attachments or Locator® attachments (Zest Anchors, Inc., Escondido, Calif.), range from about 1 to about 7 pounds.
Both the removable and fixed implant supported dentures have their advantages and disadvantages. Common advantages for both the removable and fixed dentures include: proper chewing, protection of the gums, and improvement in speech and aesthetics. Removable dentures are less costly and allow for easier cleaning to promote oral hygiene on a daily basis. However, they lack the feel of natural teeth and require more maintenance, e.g., replacement and/or adjustment of attachments and attachment components. In contrast, fixed dentures feel more like natural teeth and distribute occlusal load onto the implant and onto the jaw bone, which can be beneficial to the maintenance of the bone ridge height and thickness, bone quality, and oral and facial aesthetics. Fixed dentures also allow less food entrapment and less maintenance. Nevertheless, fixed dentures are more expensive and more difficult to maintain when comprehensive cleaning is required.
Conventional fixed dental implant attachment systems generally have higher treatment costs and involve more complicated procedures. The cost of components and laboratory fees contribute, in part, to high treatment costs that restrict access of such conventional fixed attachment systems. At the same time, complicated techniques, such as accommodating implant angulations, verification of try-ins, and difficulty with administering cement and/or screws, requires highly skilled dental care providers, which further adds to the high cost of treatment. Likewise, maintenance of conventional fixed attachment systems require time consuming procedure and high cost as the system and/or system components are typically damaged and require repair and/or removal and replacement at recall appointments.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple, low cost, screwless, cementless, fixed dental implant attachment system that is detachable by the dental care provider, but at the same time provides the benefits of a fixed dental attachment system. Disclosed herein is a unique, simple, lower cost, fixed but clinically detachable device for those patients who want the advantages of a “fixed” implant supported denture but cannot afford the current higher end options, and an entry point allowing less experienced dentists to perform fixed restorations due to an easier restorative procedure. Further described herein is a dental implant attachment device that can provide immediate load (function), through components that can be easily used with the provisional denture and then incorporated into the final restoration.